Celtics looking for veteran forward

[guava_wrench]

Makes me wonder why they didn't try to sign Matt Barnes when he was available.  Didn't he sign for the vet minimum?

I wouldn't be surprised if Danny already spoke with PJ and he has decided to stay retired.  I believe PJ said that if he played again it would only be for the Celtics.

PJ would be my first choice though if he decided to play.  Joe Smith 2nd, but he would have to be traded for. 

I wonder how Antoine feels knowing he's the only forward on the market right now that the Cs don't have to trade for and they still don't want him.

Who's to say Danny didn't make an attempt for Barnes.  Maybe the guy just wanted to play on the West Coast.  You'd have to figure at least one team offered him more than the vet min.  So maybe it wasn't as much about the money for him.

But as someone else already said, I think the term "veteran forward" was the reporters wording, not Danny's.  Ainge wants another veteran big.  Not a wing.

you think scal/ Ta is enough for lebron and other elite 3's when paul goes to the bench? I don't.

I wouldn't really have a problem with a forward who could play the 3.

Wouldn't those elite 3's also go to the bench?

[crownsy]

Makes me wonder why they didn't try to sign Matt Barnes when he was available.  Didn't he sign for the vet minimum?

I wouldn't be surprised if Danny already spoke with PJ and he has decided to stay retired.  I believe PJ said that if he played again it would only be for the Celtics.

PJ would be my first choice though if he decided to play.  Joe Smith 2nd, but he would have to be traded for. 

I wonder how Antoine feels knowing he's the only forward on the market right now that the Cs don't have to trade for and they still don't want him.

Who's to say Danny didn't make an attempt for Barnes.  Maybe the guy just wanted to play on the West Coast.  You'd have to figure at least one team offered him more than the vet min.  So maybe it wasn't as much about the money for him.

But as someone else already said, I think the term "veteran forward" was the reporters wording, not Danny's.  Ainge wants another veteran big.  Not a wing.

you think scal/ Ta is enough for lebron and other elite 3's when paul goes to the bench? I don't.

I wouldn't really have a problem with a forward who could play the 3.

Wouldn't those elite 3's also go to the bench?

LBJ- current MPG 39, down from a 44 career average. im going to guess in the playoffs, no, he wont.
Granger (long shot indy turns it around i know)- 38 MPG, i would think your looking at 44-46 in the playoffs.
Kobe, if you count him ( I do, he plays 3 alot) 44 MPG last years playoffs.
J.Smith- Hurt right now, but in the playoffs he averaged 40+ last year.

Pierce in the playoffs plays 40 as well of course, but pose still took about 6-8 minutes a game at the 3. those are now scal/TA minutes.



So no, they won't. I could care less about them in the regular season, but in the playoffs?

yes, i would like not to rely on scal and TA.

[Vineet]

I think this club needs help at 2 spots.

Backup at the 3. I like TA and Scal, but I think a backup 3 who can gaurd LBJ is key here.  Not sure who is out there.  I kinda liked Bonzi before he went to China.  Some scoring, strength from te SF spot.  I'd love to get Gomes for the 3, but I think the cost is prohibitive.

Back up 4-5.  I love Baby and Powe off the bench, but I think we need some height to handle Big Z, and Gasol.  PJ was that guy last year.  Mutumbo could also do that kind of work, but I think he slows our defense considerably.  I'd love PJ back.  Mutumbo second. 

On a third note, cutting POB is the way I'd go. The thing that strikes me about him is that he plays soft.  No one else on the team could be characterized as that.  They play hard and intense defense.  POB comes in and has no mean streak/edge like seemingly every other celtic has. I think that's what make the celts great and why POB won't be successful here.

[CelticsWhat35]

Makes me wonder why they didn't try to sign Matt Barnes when he was available.  Didn't he sign for the vet minimum?

I wouldn't be surprised if Danny already spoke with PJ and he has decided to stay retired.  I believe PJ said that if he played again it would only be for the Celtics.

PJ would be my first choice though if he decided to play.  Joe Smith 2nd, but he would have to be traded for. 

I wonder how Antoine feels knowing he's the only forward on the market right now that the Cs don't have to trade for and they still don't want him.

Who's to say Danny didn't make an attempt for Barnes.  Maybe the guy just wanted to play on the West Coast.  You'd have to figure at least one team offered him more than the vet min.  So maybe it wasn't as much about the money for him.

But as someone else already said, I think the term "veteran forward" was the reporters wording, not Danny's.  Ainge wants another veteran big.  Not a wing.

you think scal/ Ta is enough for lebron and other elite 3's when paul goes to the bench? I don't.

I wouldn't really have a problem with a forward who could play the 3.

Wouldn't those elite 3's also go to the bench?

LBJ- current MPG 39, down from a 44 career average. im going to guess in the playoffs, no, he wont.
Granger (long shot indy turns it around i know)- 38 MPG, i would think your looking at 44-46 in the playoffs.
Kobe, if you count him ( I do, he plays 3 alot) 44 MPG last years playoffs.
J.Smith- Hurt right now, but in the playoffs he averaged 40+ last year.

Pierce in the playoffs plays 40 as well of course, but pose still took about 6-8 minutes a game at the 3. those are now scal/TA minutes.



So no, they won't. I could care less about them in the regular season, but in the playoffs?

yes, i would like not to rely on scal and TA.

I'm not saying Ainge is satisfied with the team at the 3 spot, but I what he's looking for most right now is a 4-5.  Paul and Ray play big minutes at the wing positions.  Perk was huge in the playoffs last year, but he's still young, and he's not known to play 30+ minutes very often, and our backups are undersized and also young.

Anyway, the elite wings like LeBron, Kobe, etc. are rarely guarded one-on-one anyway.  And I actually think TA and Scal can do a pretty good job on the defensive end, especially with TA on Kobe and Scal on LeBron (considering is overwhelming physical disadvantage).

I agree it would be nice to have another veteran wing, but if it comes down to one or the other, I'd opt for a 4-5.

[Roy Hobbs]

Back up 4-5.  I love Baby and Powe off the bench, but I think we need some height to handle Big Z, and Gasol.  PJ was that guy last year.  Mutumbo could also do that kind of work, but I think he slows our defense considerably.  I'd love PJ back.  Mutumbo second. 

First, nice post.  That being said, do you think Mutumbo really slows the Celts defense that much?  I know he's old, but he stepped in and played admirably for Houston last season.  Also, he played for three years under Tom Thibodeau, and during those years Houston was in the top six in defensive efficiency each season.  Based on all of that, I don't think he'd hurt the team.

[crownsy]

Makes me wonder why they didn't try to sign Matt Barnes when he was available.  Didn't he sign for the vet minimum?

I wouldn't be surprised if Danny already spoke with PJ and he has decided to stay retired.  I believe PJ said that if he played again it would only be for the Celtics.

PJ would be my first choice though if he decided to play.  Joe Smith 2nd, but he would have to be traded for. 

I wonder how Antoine feels knowing he's the only forward on the market right now that the Cs don't have to trade for and they still don't want him.

Who's to say Danny didn't make an attempt for Barnes.  Maybe the guy just wanted to play on the West Coast.  You'd have to figure at least one team offered him more than the vet min.  So maybe it wasn't as much about the money for him.

But as someone else already said, I think the term "veteran forward" was the reporters wording, not Danny's.  Ainge wants another veteran big.  Not a wing.

you think scal/ Ta is enough for lebron and other elite 3's when paul goes to the bench? I don't.

I wouldn't really have a problem with a forward who could play the 3.

Wouldn't those elite 3's also go to the bench?

LBJ- current MPG 39, down from a 44 career average. im going to guess in the playoffs, no, he wont.
Granger (long shot indy turns it around i know)- 38 MPG, i would think your looking at 44-46 in the playoffs.
Kobe, if you count him ( I do, he plays 3 alot) 44 MPG last years playoffs.
J.Smith- Hurt right now, but in the playoffs he averaged 40+ last year.

Pierce in the playoffs plays 40 as well of course, but pose still took about 6-8 minutes a game at the 3. those are now scal/TA minutes.



So no, they won't. I could care less about them in the regular season, but in the playoffs?

yes, i would like not to rely on scal and TA.

I'm not saying Ainge is satisfied with the team at the 3 spot, but I what he's looking for most right now is a 4-5.  Paul and Ray play big minutes at the wing positions.  Perk was huge in the playoffs last year, but he's still young, and he's not known to play 30+ minutes very often, and our backups are undersized and also young.

Anyway, the elite wings like LeBron, Kobe, etc. are rarely guarded one-on-one anyway.  And I actually think TA and Scal can do a pretty good job on the defensive end, especially with TA on Kobe and Scal on LeBron (considering is overwhelming physical disadvantage).

I agree it would be nice to have another veteran wing, but if it comes down to one or the other, I'd opt for a 4-5.

I picture Scal on LBJ alot like pierce on hedo or Sasha for clevland. I.E a massacre and FT parade.

[CelticsWhat35]

I picture Scal on LBJ alot like pierce on hedo or Sasha for clevland. I.E a massacre and FT parade.

The difference between Scal and Hedo on the defensive end is that Hedo doesn't even attempt to fake that he tries to play defense.  Scal, given his physical limitations, is actually a pretty decent defender.  He has much more trouble with the quicker wings, but against some 4-5's, and bigger 3's like LeBron, he's done decent at times.

We're not talking about 20-25 mpg on the guy.  We're talking about a few minutes here and there to keep the team honest.

And as I said before.  It's not an ideal situation, but it's better than having Leon and Baby guarding 7 footers in a 7 game series (although they've done an admirable job in the past).

[youcanthandlethetruth113]

PJ Brown

Don't you think PJ Brown would be labeled as a center?

I think the "veteran forward" language is the Globe's, rather than Danny's.  Regardless, I think players like P.J., Joe Smith, etc. are forwards, even if they can play the center position.

I think the team will end up signing Dikembe.  He made it sound like there is an open offer for him to join the team, and it's just a matter of him agreeing.

Roy,

I totally agree with you about the C's inevitably signing Dikembe. Don't forget that Dikembe went out of his way to say that the Rockets have not responded to him AT ALL (i.e. he's p---ed and wants a ring NOW).

IMHO Dikembe would be a perfect mentor for POB. If the ageless wonder Mutombo can't teach POB then nobody can.

[Brickowski]

POB already has the perfect mentor in Clifford Ray.

As for this alleged search for a veteran forward, maybe they should have kept Darius Miles instead of Sam Cassell, doncha think?

[Cman]

I know I'd prefer Mutombo, but I am hazy on what Edgar is thinking.

TP, that was funny.  By the way, you have got to have the best TP/Post ratio of anyone on the board.....

Back on topic, I like the idea of either of Mutombo, PJ Brown, Zo.  The latter two are probably retired, the first may not have enough gas left in the tank.  But I would take long hard looks at all three if available.  If he gets bought out, Joe Smith could be interesting -- does he have some intel on Cleveland's bigs that could be useful? 

My dream C would be Marcus Camby, and it is a real pity he is stranded with the Clippers.

[Vineet]

I think Mutumbo has lost a step and that teams will attack him with the pick and roll.  I just don't think he can jump the pick and roll like KG, Perk, or PJ did last year.  I think overall he'd be a good addition, but I perfer PJ. Mutumbo beats all the other guys mentioned.

As far as the 3 goes, the best option may be in with the flash as Walker could be suitable here.  But I rather he be getting minutes in boston and playing in that spot.  My worry is that PP is playing 40+ minutes on LBJ in the playoffs, who else can gaurd him.  At least last year, Posey switching for those 8-12 minutes, gave PP a break.  Who on this team is capable of giving him a break against lebron?  We'll see how TA does jan 9, and depending on how he plays, we may see Walker back sooner than later.

[Roy Hobbs]

As for this alleged search for a veteran forward, maybe they should have kept Darius Miles instead of Sam Cassell, doncha think?

Well, I think it's implicit that the team is looking for an NBA-quality forward.  Miles doesn't qualify.

[moiso]

POB already has the perfect mentor in Clifford Ray.

As for this alleged search for a veteran forward, maybe they should have kept Darius Miles instead of Sam Cassell, doncha think?

yep, POB actually has a whole team full of mentors.  It's not like he's on the Clippers or still on the Warriors.

[WayneKreklow]

POB already has the perfect mentor in Clifford Ray.

As for this alleged search for a veteran forward, maybe they should have kept Darius Miles instead of Sam Cassell, doncha think?

yep, POB actually has a whole team full of mentors.  It's not like he's on the Clippers or still on the Warriors.

Gotta give POB some time for the mentoring to take hold. POB has had a lifetime of bad habits and just a few months of Ubuntu. He could be a project that pays off.

[ManUp]

While Mutombo, Joe Smith and PJ Brown are the names being thrown around a guy that might be had that could help is Mikki Moore. Scal and a rookie might have to go and maybe Baby but I think he could help the front court. If we get rid of the extra body it would also open up a real SF back up addition as well.

I don't know, just an idea.

Sounds like a good idea to me.

His contract ends next year so there's basically no risk in his contract. He's Tall, Lanky, Ahtletic, and can bring the same hustle and energy as BBD. Plus we'd open up another Roster spot to pick up another Vet if needed. The only thing I'd worry about with him is defense against stronger/bigger centers.

I think that would be a nice pick up, and a good move to cut the size of the roster down.